


three days on a drunken sin

by SafelyCapricious



Series: things you find in a graveyard [26]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Drinking, F/M, Toph Being Awesome, Underage Drinking, hangovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2021-01-04 04:38:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21191699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SafelyCapricious/pseuds/SafelyCapricious
Summary: When the Avatar defeated the Fire Lord some thought of that as the end of the struggle. For others it was when the new Fire Lord took over. For more, when the crops that had been destroyed in the struggle were replanted and people were able to return to their villages.For those who had called the Avatar friend, the end came many years later when peace treaties had been forged, friendship cemented and infrastructure restored. This happened to correspond with the “18th” birthday of the Avatar.Very few people, over the age of 18, have more than a few memories of that week.





	three days on a drunken sin

**Author's Note:**

> Title generated by the [Hozier random fanfic title generator](http://www.generatorland.com/usergenerator.aspx?id=22501). i would marry that generator if i could.
> 
> Still sick, getting better, definitely wanted this to be longer but this is what it is. Enjoy.
> 
> Fictober! Day 26! Wooo

When the Avatar defeated the Fire Lord some thought of that as the end of the struggle. For others it was when the new Fire Lord took over. For more, when the crops that had been destroyed in the struggle were replanted and people were able to return to their villages. 

For those who had called the Avatar friend, the end came many years later when peace treaties had been forged, friendship cemented and infrastructure restored. This happened to correspond with the “18th” birthday of the Avatar.

Very few people, over the age of 18, have more than a few memories of that week.

For Katara there were only a few things she remembered — and given how...odd most of those things were, she suspected she had made them up in some psychological desire to have memories of what happened. 

She was at a bit of an advantage that she at least didn’t spend the following week hungover. (She was going to offer to heal it for everyone, but since she’d started to be able to change memories with her bending, people were strangely less willing to let her heal their headaches.) 

Toph was the only other person not suffering. There was no real explanation for why she wasn’t — she’d had just as much if not more. She naturally refused to explain how, and mostly was just smug about it. 

Aang was one of those who suffered the worst, though considering that he had had a drink with virtually everyone in the Fire Nation (and their Donkeys — at least Katara was willing to swear that was the case, no one else seemed to remember that moment though.) It wasn’t terribly surprising. 

It was, unfortunately, rather dull to be one of the only non-hungover people in an entire country. Katara was on her way to harass Toph until, well, something happened — Either pampering, mud wrestling, tea or some combination of the three. 

She hadn’t seen anyone outside of their rooms in about three days, so when she caught sight of Zuko rounding the corner towards her she cheerfully called out his name. He was already looking pale and sickly, but his skin took on a green tint and he rushed into the nearest bathroom. 

She paused, feeling vaguely concerned, before shrugging and continuing on her way. If he wanted help he could ask, in the meantime she had a master earth bender to enrage.

***

A certain level of arrogance was written into Zuko’s genes. So far nothing had managed to change that. Though after how things had gone for the Avatar’s birthday he was starting to regret that decision. He had, naturally drunk before — being the oldest of the group. 

Which had led, naturally, to him believing he would have the highest tolerance. Especially compared to someone who, if she hadn’t gotten permission from the Fire Lord himself, would not have been legally allowed to drink. 

He had been very wrong. 

Toph was a machine. 

He understood that now. He could (or maybe it would be better to say should) not be quite so arrogant about his drinking prowess anymore. 

However, as he rounded the corner and heard Katara he realized — with dawning horror, that he could still be arrogant about his ability to remember things. And he very distinctly recalled dancing on a table top as Katara, among many, many others, cheered him on by chanting his name.

He was going to be sick.

***

Toph thought the entire situation was hilarious. She had enjoyed her first chance to legally drink — even if it was just because she could talk Zuko into just about anything. She also enjoyed the fact that unlike the rest of, well, everyone, she wasn’t an idiot and so about halfway through the night she’d switched to fruity drinks _without_ alcohol in them. 

Naturally she wasn’t going to tell anyone that she’d done this — she too much enjoyed the fact that everyone seemed impressed with how she handled herself. Besides, it was relaxing around the palace, being the only one other than Katara who could move around without fear of her head falling off. 

What she was most looking forward to, however, was when people started to sober up. 

She had some...interesting blackmail to work with. Like the fact that Aang had kissed a goat. Or Sokka making out with a broom while calling it “Yue” (she was determined to get the full story about that from Katara). Zuko had spent most of the night setting things on fire, pouring alcohol on it, then giggling. Though at one point he had started to dance, with his flaming shots, on top of a table. 

In fact, the only person she didn’t have any significant black mail on was Katara. Katara had been taking care of people — apparently when she got drunk she turned into more of a mother hen than ever — for a good portion of the night. At some point she’d disappeared, Toph assumed it was to pass out. 

Katara had escorted a number of people to their beds, tucked them in — she’d attempted to tell Toph a bedtime story, in fact, which hadn’t gone over very well since for all of her mothering instincts she was drunk as a skunk. 

Toph considered, for a moment, the fact that she was fairly sure Katara didn’t remember much of the night. That meant that while she didn’t have any _real_ blackmail information on the girl, it would be entirely possible to make some up. And pretend it was true. Now she just had to figure out what the best possible blackmail was…

The thought that crossed Toph’s mind was pure evil, as evidenced by the fact that she was currently holding her hands in front of her and cackling like the Melon Lord. It was pure evil. And brilliant. 

She’d thought that the Princess and Sparky were perfect for each other for a few years -- and the story about what they had drunkenly done together was bound to force Katara to reevaluate her feelings — besides, if news snuck out to Aang maybe he’d stop stalking Katara. That just wasn’t right.

The chance to put her plan into action came about quicker than she’d expected, even, as Katara showed up at her door, an odd hesitance in her step, and opened with, “Do you think Zuko’s okay? You don’t think this is going to cause an international incident, is it? That we made the Fire Lord sick for a few days?” 

Toph refrained from giggling to herself, and instead tried to keep her face a mask of calm. “He’s probably just avoiding you, because, you know.” 

She could feel Katara looking at her, and so she redoubled her efforts to remain calm and collected. “I don’t know. Talk.” 

“So bossy, sweetness,” Toph shakes her head and clicks her tongue, and grins into her shoulder as Katara collapses onto the couch beside her. She waits until she hears Katara pick up a cup off the table, and then she says, “he’s probably just embarrassed that you guys made out.” 

It’s worth it, to get sprayed with the cold tea, as Katara sputters at her. “We never — I didn’t — what are you — oh no.” Katara doesn’t stay for much longer, and then Toph is able to cackle as much to herself as she wants. 

***

Zuko’s head has finally stopped pounding, and he’s able to keep down food — which is a relief. He’s even come to terms with some of the embarrassment of dancing on a table. It helps that he didn’t do much else, truly embarrassing, other than that. (He had, at one point, intended to try to play an instrument, but he’d gotten distracted, thank everything, and hadn’t actually followed through.) 

So he’s willing to face what ribbing he’s sure he’ll get when he goes to the breakfast table. He’s thinking he’ll still stick to plain porridge for a while, but he is feeling mostly recovered. 

“Good morning,” he says to the room as he enters. It’s early, so it’s not really a surprise that only Toph and Katara are there — the only two who seem to have escaped without any hangover. 

Toph grins and waves, chewing vigorously and — and Katara turns bright red and bolts. 

Huh. 

“She okay?” he asks Toph, as soon as he’s gotten his porridge from the side and settled into a seat. 

“She’s just embarrassed about what she did,” Toph says, smug.

Zuko considers her and slowly stirs a handful of toppings into his porridge. “Uh-huh. What did she do?”

“Oh, you know,” Toph says and smirks at him.

He narrows his eyes and gives her his best unimpressed look, although he knows she can’t see it, it helps him keep his voice firm. “Spill.” 

“Making out with you, of course!” Toph says, and Zuko’s spoon falls into his porridge with a plop. 

“That didn’t — we did not — I would _remember_.” 

Toph’s grin is all teeth, “Why would you remember, sparky, because you have been dreaming about it —“ 

“Shut up,” he says, and shoves a spoonful of porridge in his mouth. 

***

Sokka is pretty sure that he died, and then was resurrected. He’s also pretty sure he was drunk for a solid thirty-two hours, which would almost be impressive if he didn’t feel like he’d been run over by a herd of buffalo-moose. 

He’s decided that he’s never going to drink again just as he rounds a corner, trying to find where dinner is being held — toast sounds good. Toast and maybe some broth. And no booze ever again. 

And then he sees it. He sees it and he can’t unsee it and — 

“I need a drink, right now, immediately!” he announces to the hallway, and he’s rewarded with his sister (his _sister_!) jumping back from where she had Zuko pinned to the wall and — Zuko just stares at him in confusion and then — 

Then he leaves. Because maybe if he drinks enough he’ll be able to forget this entire thing ever happened. Or maybe he can find someone who’ll make a potion that’ll erase these memories but that seems like it’ll take longer and — alcohol first, potion after. 

**Author's Note:**

> Come talk to me [on tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/capriciouswrites), at some point I will no longer be dying I am sure.
> 
> I love me some Zutara. I wanted this to be edited quite a bit more, but I do not have that ability right now so...hope you enjoyed! <3 <3 <3


End file.
